Manage inventory using Configuration Manager - Exam Ref 70-696 Managing Enterprise Devices and Apps (2014)

Exam Ref 70-696 Managing Enterprise Devices and Apps (2014)

Chapter 6. Manage inventory using Configuration Manager

As the name of the product suggests, Configuration Manager enables you to inventory and manage the configuration of managed client devices. Hardware and software inventory allow you to generate a detailed picture of the hardware and software configurations of the client devices that Configuration Manager manages. Software Metering is a feature that enables you to track how applications on managed clients are being utilized. You can then use the reporting functionality in Configuration Manager to generate detailed reports using the information that has been collected.


Objectives in this chapter:

Image Objective 6.1: Manage hardware and software inventory.

Image Objective 6.2: Manage software metering.

Image Objective 6.3: Create reports.


Objective 6.1: Manage hardware and software inventory

Configuration Manager enables you to configure the collection of hardware and software inventory and, thus, to generate detailed information about the configuration of client devices in your organization. You can use this detailed information as the basis for creating Configuration Manager collections or use it to generate reports about the configuration of managed devices.


This section covers the following topics:

Image Inventory collection

Image Hardware inventory collection

Image Extending hardware inventory

Image Software inventory collection

Image File collection

Image Managing inventory collection


Inventory collection

Inventory collection involves gathering information about a client computer’s hardware and software. You can collect inventory information through three primary methods:

Image Hardware inventory Collects information about the hardware configuration of client computers. Configuration Manager supports hardware inventory collection for computers that are running supported Windows operating systems, Mac OS X, Linux, and UNIX operating systems.

Image Software inventory Collects information about files on client devices. Operating systems that are not Windows-based do not support software inventory.

Image Asset Intelligence Use in conjunction with and in addition to hardware inventory to report software installations on client computers.

If you want to configure hardware and software inventory options that apply to the entire hierarchy, do so using Default Client Settings. If you want to configure hardware and software inventory options that only apply to a small number of computers, create custom client settings and then assign them to specific collections.


Image Exam Tip

Custom client settings override any settings that you configure within Default Client Settings.


Inventory collection isn’t limited to Configuration Manager. Microsoft Intune (formerly Windows Intune) can collect hardware inventory from its clients. Integrating Intune with Configuration Manager enables you to use the inventory information that Intune collects in Configuration Manager.

When you integrate Intune with Configuration Manager, there are some differences between what Intune inventories for personal devices and what it inventories for company-owned devices. The following table illustrates the software inventory capability of Intune when integrated with Configuration Manager.

Image

TABLE 6-1 Intune inventory information


More Info: Intune Inventory

You can learn more about Microsoft Intune inventory at http://blogs.technet.com/b/tune_in_to_windows_intune/archive/2014/03/24/windows-intune-mobile-device-inventory-information-faq.aspx.


You can use the results of inventory collection with other Configuration Manager features. For example, you can:

Image Build queries that include or exclude computers based on their hardware configuration or installed software. For example, you can create a query that displays all computers with less than 5 gigabytes of space left on their operating system volume.

Image Build collections by using queries that include or exclude computers based on their hardware configuration or the type of installed software—for example, that have a specific model of graphics adapter or that are running a specific application.

Image Generate reports based on hardware configuration or installed software.

Image Use queries and reports to find computers that do not meet corporate standards. For example, you can maintain information about current hardware and software installations to ensure that all computers meet the current compliance requirements.

Image Use Resource Explorer, which is the Configuration Manager console that displays the complete inventory data that Configuration Manager collects for individual computers.

Image Collect copies of files from client computers by using software inventory. Configuration Manager then stores these files on the site server. One example is if you need to collect a specific configuration file from computers within a specific site.

By default, the hardware inventory and software inventory collection runs every seven days, though by configuring default or custom client settings, you can modify this schedule to meet your organization’s requirements. Computer hardware and software configuration changes slowly, so it is rarely necessary to schedule aggressive inventory collection. Figure 6-1 shows a schedule configured to run once every 14 days.

Image

FIGURE 6-1 Inventory schedule

Inventory collection runs automatically based on the schedule you configure. The key phases in the inventory collection process are as follows:

1. Inventory agents create inventory data files that contain the collected data.

2. Client sends inventory data files to the management point.

3. Management point forwards data to the site server.

4. Update the site database. Configuration Manager updates the database.

5. Replicate to the central administration site.

The primary site servers add the inventory data to the Configuration Manager site database. The site database stores hardware inventory history for each client. Configuration Manager retains only the current software inventory data for each client and does not store historical data. Inventory data is site data, and site data will not replicate to any other primary sites in the hierarchy, only to the central site.


More Info: Inventory Collection

You can learn more about inventory collection at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj218177.aspx.


Hardware inventory collection

The Configuration Manager hardware inventory agent discovers information about computers by querying the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) database on the client computer. The hardware inventory agent is enabled by default and runs every seven days. By default, hardware inventory has a built-in random delay, which ranges from 60 to 240 minutes. This helps alleviate contention issues for specific scenarios, such as Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environments.

WMI is the Microsoft implementation of Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM). WBEM allows access to data from a variety of underlying technologies, including the Win32 class, WMI, the Desktop Management Interface (DMI), and the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). WBEM is based on the Common Information Model (CIM) schema. WMI uses Managed Object Format (MOF) files to determine what information to load into the CIM repository. WMI can also use providers to access the CIM repository.

Clients running OS X, Linux, or UNIX use an open source Open Management Infrastructure (OMI) implementation of the CIM and WBEM standards to gather hardware inventory information. OMI includes rules for gathering information about installed applications because it is not possible to obtain this information through a software inventory.

With Configuration Manager 2007, you used the SMS_DEF.MOF file to customize hardware inventory classes. With Configuration Manager 2012 and Configuration Manager 2012 R2, you customize the hardware inventory classes that the hardware inventory agent collects by modifying the hardware inventory client settings.

The first time the hardware inventory agent runs, it collects and returns a full hardware inventory. This full inventory establishes a baseline for future inventory collections. Subsequent inventory data contains only the information that has changed since the previous inventory collection. Another term for this changed information is delta information. Because delta information is typically a fraction of a complete inventory collection, the network traffic that client inventory generates after initial inventory collection is much smaller.

Certain events can cause a client to again collect and report a full hardware inventory:

Image The client attempts to update inventory data that does not exist in the site database.

Image The delta inventory information becomes corrupt.

Image You upgrade the Configuration Manager client software to a new version.

Image An administrator assigns the client to a new site.

You can modify the hardware inventory collection by configuring the client settings for the hardware inventory agent. You configure the hardware inventory agent in the Administration workspace, Client Settings node, in either Default Client Settings or a custom client settings object.Figure 6-2 shows enabling hardware inventory.

Image

FIGURE 6-2 Hardware Inventory client settings

If you want the hardware inventory settings to apply to specific computers only, create a custom client setting that deploys to a collection that contains the computers you want to inventory. If a computer receives settings from both the default and custom client settings, the hardware inventory agent merges the hardware inventory classes from each of the settings when the client reports its hardware inventory.

You can configure several options for hardware inventory as described in Table 6-2.

Image

TABLE 6-2 Hardware inventory options


More Info: Hardware Inventory

You can learn more about hardware inventory at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh301103.aspx.


Extending hardware inventory

You can extend the hardware inventory for Windows-based clients by using the following methods for Default Client Settings or for a custom client-device setting configuration:

Image Enable or disable existing inventory classes. To display a list of default inventory classes, click the Set Classes button, which opens the Hardware Inventory Classes dialog box shown in Figure 6-3. From this dialog box, you can enable or disable the classes and class properties that you want the hardware inventory agent to collect. You can use either the Search For Inventory Classes field or the Filter buttons that are at the top of the Hardware Inventory Classes dialog box to search for and view individual classes.

Image

FIGURE 6-3 Hardware Inventory Classes

Image Add a new hardware inventory class. You can connect to another computer to retrieve specific inventory classes and then add the new inventory class to the set of default classes. For example, you might use a client computer to test a hardware vendor–specific MOF file. After you verify that the specific MOF file collects the custom information properly, you can connect to the computer from the Configuration Manager console to import the vendor-specific classes.

If you have a custom MOF file that contains hardware inventory class settings that you used in a prior version of Configuration Manager or an MOF file that a vendor provides, you can use the Import and Export features to import or export custom MOF files and their associated settings.

The Configuration.mof file is a text file you can edit with a text editor such as Notepad .exe, which defines the data classes for the hardware inventory agent. Configuration.mof also defines and registers the providers that the hardware inventory agent uses during data collection. To extend the hardware inventory that Configuration Manager collects, you edit the Configuration.mof file to use a registered inventory data provider. For example, if you want to collect additional information from specific registry keys on the client computer, you modify the registry property provider to collect the specific registry key information that you require.

When clients request computer policies as part of their normal policy-polling interval, Configuration Manager attaches the Configuration.mof content to the policy body that clients download and compile. When you add, modify, or delete data classes from the Configuration .mof file, the next time that clients receive an updated computer policy, they automatically compile changes that have occurred to inventory-related data classes.

The Configuration.mof file is located on the site server in the ConfigMgr install directory \Inboxes\Clifiles.src\Hinv folder.

Software inventory collection

Software inventory collection enables you to inventory specific file types, such as .exe files, located on Configuration Manager client devices. Software inventory provides some details about a file by inventorying file header information. If the file does not have a file header, or if the software inventory agent cannot read the header file, the file is inventoried as an unknown file type. Inventory results include a report on any file that matches the requested file type and might include file-system details that you configure in the software inventory agent settings. You can also use software inventory to collect copies of files that are transferred to the site server. The default inventory settings are shown in Figure 6-4.

Image

FIGURE 6-4 Software Inventory

Similar to hardware inventory, software inventory initially reports a full inventory soon after you enable the software inventory agent. Subsequent inventory reports only contain changes to inventory information. The site server processes delta inventory information but rejects it if information is missing or corrupt. If the site server rejects the delta inventory, it instructs the client to run and report a full inventory cycle.

You can use Resource Explorer to view inventory information for client software, or you can view software-inventory information in reports. Configuration Manager clients that are running OS X, Linux, or UNIX do not support the software inventory feature.

By default, the software inventory agent is enabled and configured to run every seven days using the simple schedule option. However, no file types are specified. You can modify this setting to configure file types, as shown in Figure 6-5, and a custom schedule as necessary.

Image

FIGURE 6-5 File Types

The information that Configuration Manager gathers can include data related to the operating system, installed programs, and any files that you want to inventory. Configuration Manager stores this data in the site database, where you can use the information in queries to generate and view reports or to build software-specific collections. For example, you can create a collection of all computers that have specific versions of files, or you can find all clients with an old version of a file and replace it with a newer version.

Although software inventory can provide a list of installed application files, such as .exe files, you should not use it for identifying installed software. Instead, you should use Asset Intelligence, which provides details about installed applications beyond a simple list of file names. For example, software inventory might find a file named Game.exe but not be able to find information beyond that name. Asset Intelligence, however, will allow you to identify which application it actually is.

By default, software inventory is enabled on clients, but no file types are defined for inventory. To inventory specific file types, you need to configure software inventory rules by using the following settings:

Image Name You can list a specific file, or you can specify a file type by using wildcard characters. For example, you could specify *.ps1 to inventory Windows PowerShell command-line interface scripts.

Image Path You can configure the agent to search for the specified file on all of the clients’ hard disks or in a specific path. The path can be explicit or based on a variable such as %ProgramFiles%.

Image Exclude Encrypted And Compressed Files This option is enabled by default and specifies that Configuration Manager does not inventory any file that has the encryption or compression attribute set.

Image Exclude Files In The Windows Folder This option is enabled by default and specifies that Configuration Manager will not inventory any files that are in the %SystemRoot% folder.

In addition, you can configure reporting detail for software inventory to specify whether software inventory collects file system full details, details for inventoried files, or product details from file header information. These options apply to all software inventory rules.

Collecting software inventory of encrypted and compressed files might cause the inventory process to run more slowly. To inventory an encrypted file, the software inventory agent must create a decompressed copy of the file. Furthermore, if the client computer is running antivirus software, the antivirus software rescans every file that the inventory process opens.

You can exclude some folders or entire volumes from a client’s software inventory. To exclude a folder, create a hidden file named Skpswi.dat in that folder. Note that excluding a folder from software inventory also excludes any subfolders. To exclude an entire hard disk, create the hidden Skpswi.dat file in the volume’s root. You also might decide to use the Skpswi.dat file to exclude specific folders that you do not want to inventory on a file server or distribution point.

Software inventory retrieves manufacturer and product names from file header information. If any inconsistencies are in the way, these names are entered in the header information; multiple variations of the manufacturer and product names also appear both in Resource Explorer and in any query results based on inventoried file display names.

For example, files created by A. Datum Corporation might enter the manufacturer name in various forms, such as A. Datum; A. Datum, Corp; A. Datum, corp; or Adatum. Such inconsistencies can make it more difficult to read and query against software inventory information because the data appears under multiple manufacturer names rather than under a single name.

To resolve this problem, you can set custom display names for manufacturers or products. For example, you can map all variations of A. Datum to A. Datum Corporation for display and query purposes.


More Info: Software Inventory

You can learn more about software inventory at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh509028.aspx.


File collection

File collection allows files to be collected from Configuration Manager clients. When you specify a file for collection, the software inventory agent runs a file collection cycle on each Configuration Manager client. If the software inventory agent finds a file to collect, it attaches the file to the inventory report and then forwards it to the site server. On the client, the file collection cycle is a separate action from the software inventory cycle. By default, software inventory does not collect any files.

The site server stores up to five versions of each file that the software inventory agent collects from each client. The site server does not delete any files that the software inventory agent collects. Therefore, you should use file collection only in very specific circumstances and configure the agent to collect only files that are small and do not change often. Consider enabling deduplication on the volume that hosts collected files.


Image Exam Tip

File collection is not enabled by default. Up to five versions of each file are stored.


To configure file collection by software inventory, you must perform the following procedure:

1. To create a new file entry, under Client Settings, in the Software Inventory section, click Set Files and then click New (which appears as a star).

2. In the Collected File Properties dialog box, shown in Figure 6-6, specify the name of the files that you want to collect or use wildcard characters to specify the file types that you want to collect. An example is *.ini.

Image

FIGURE 6-6 Collected File Properties

3. Specify the location in which you want the agent to search for files. You can configure the agent to search for a specific file on all of the client’s hard disks or in a specific path only. The path can be explicit or based on a variable such as %windir%.

4. Specify whether to exclude encrypted and compressed files.

5. Specify the maximum total file size of files collected for this entry.

The site server stores each collected file in the ConfigMgr installation directory\Inboxes \Sinv.box\Filecol folder. If a file has not changed since the last collection, the agent will not collect it again. You can use Resource Explorer to view or save files that the agent collects from a client.

Managing inventory collection

You may have situations in which you need hardware or software inventory to run immediately on a single client. For example, when a client has received an upgrade, you may want it reported as soon as possible.

You can initiate certain client actions (such as policy retrieval and inventory collection) on demand, independent of scheduled intervals. You can initiate these client actions on the Actions tab of the Configuration Manager Properties dialog box in Control Panel on the client.

To initiate off-cycle inventory collection and reporting, you must complete the following procedure:

1. On the client computer, open Control Panel.

2. In Control Panel, in System And Security, start Configuration Manager.

3. In the Configuration Manager Properties dialog box, click the Actions tab.

4. Under Actions, select the inventory action that you want to initiate, such as the Hardware Inventory Cycle shown in Figure 6-7, and then click Run Now.

Image

FIGURE 6-7 Hardware Inventory Cycle

After agents collect hardware or software inventory information from Configuration Manager client computers, you can view the results by using either Resource Explorer or inventory reports. You also can obtain results by creating custom queries from within the Configuration Manager console.

You can use Resource Explorer to display inventory information for one client at a time. To start Resource Explorer, you must complete the following procedure:

1. From the Configuration Manager console, click the Assets And Compliance workspace.

2. Click the Devices node. Note that you also can click Device Collections, right-click a device collection that contains the client device that you want to view, and then click Show Members.

3. In the list view, right-click a client device, point to Start, and then click Resource Explorer.

You also can use the reporting feature to view various types of reports pertaining to hardware and software inventory. To access reports, complete the following procedure:

1. In the Configuration Manager console, click the Monitoring workspace.

2. Expand the Reporting node and then click and expand the Reports node. Notice that reports are organized into category-based folders, enabling you to locate common reports quickly.

You also can access reporting by using Internet Explorer to open the Report Manager URL. By default, the URL for the Report Manager is http://servername/Reports.

If you configure management points to use HTTPS for client communication, all data transmitted to the server is protected using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). However, you can opt to use HTTP to communicate with management points within your internal network. In this case, HTTP sends client inventory data and collected files unencrypted and unsigned. As a result, your organization would be exposed to threats such as someone intentionally sending invalid data or excessively large data as a form of denial-of-service attack. In addition, because the data is unencrypted, it is possible for someone to capture and read the collected inventory in transit. As a best practice, consider implementing security measures to protect the inventory process and data communication by using the following methods:

Image Enable Signing And Encryption To provide more secure communication between client computers and the site, you can configure several signing and encryption options, including:

Image Require Signing This option ensures that all data that is sent from the client to the management point is signed.

Image Require Secure Hash Algorithm 256 (SHA-256) This option ensures that when a client is communicating by using HTTP, the communication uses the SHA-256 hash algorithm to sign the data. Note that only System Center 2012 Configuration Manager client and newer Configuration Manager versions support SHA-256.

Image Use Encryption This option ensures that all inventory data and state messages are encrypted by using the Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES) encryption algorithm when sent to the management points. You can use this option for environments in which inventory data might contain sensitive information.

To enable signing and encryption for the site, complete the following procedure:

1. In the Configuration Manager console, click the Administration workspace.

2. Expand the Site Configuration node and then click Sites.

3. In the list view, right-click the site and then click Properties.

4. In the Site Properties dialog box, click the Signing And Encryption tab.

5. Select the signing and encryption options as needed.

Image Disable Any Custom MIF File Collections Although you can extend inventory by collecting IDMIF and NOIDMIF files, the MIF files that the hardware inventory agent collects are not validated. As a result, a malicious user could use the MIF files to alter your site’s database by overwriting valid data with invalid data.

Image Do Not Collect Critical Or Sensitive Files The inventory client agent runs with the rights of the LocalSystem account. This account can collect copies of critical system files, such as the registry or security account database. When these files are available at the site server, someone with permission to read the collected files could analyze their contents and potentially discern important client details that could enable him or her to compromise its security.

Image Use An Appropriate Deletion Interval For Aged Inventory Data And Collected Files You can ensure the encryption of data that is sent from the client to the management point, but the data that the site database stores is not encrypted. Therefore, you should determine how long you want the database to retain the inventory information and collected files and configure the Delete Aged Inventory History and Delete Aged Collected Files site maintenance tasks as appropriate.

To configure the deletion interval for the Delete Aged Inventory History and Delete Aged Collected Files site maintenance tasks, complete the following procedure:

1. In the Configuration Manager console, click the Administration workspace.

2. Expand the Site Configuration node and then click Sites.

3. In the list view, right-click the site and then click Site Maintenance.

4. Modify the properties for the Delete Aged Inventory History and Delete Aged Collected Files site maintenance tasks as required. This dialog box is shown in Figure 6-8.

Image

FIGURE 6-8 Delete Aged Inventory History Properties

Several methods are available to troubleshoot the causes of problems with inventory collection. These methods include:

Image Reviewing the client log files A client’s log files can help you identify inventory problems that are affecting that client. The client log files that pertain directly to inventory are as follows:

Image InventoryAgent.log Records activities of the inventory agent, including creation of discovery data records (DDRs) and inventory reports.

Image CcmExec.log Records activities of the client of the Short Message Service (SMS) Agent Host service. For inventory, this includes high-level events such as initialization of the inventory agent queue.

Image Policyagent.log Records policy updates on the client, including updates that enable the inventory agent and configure the hardware inventory collection.

Image FileSystemFile.log Records scanning events by the inventory agent file system for software inventory when you enable and configure it.

Image Mifprovider.log Records events related to MIF file reporting.

Image Reviewing the management point log files You can use log files on the management point to help identify inventory problems that relate to inventory processing. The management point log files that pertain to inventory are as follows:

Image MP_Hinv.log Provides details on hardware inventory that client computers report.

Image MP_Relay.log Provides details on how inventory information maps to specific inbox folders.

Image MP_Retry.log Provides information on the retry states of inventory collection.

Image Reviewing the site-server log files You can use log files on the server to help identify inventory problems that affect more than one client. The following are log files of the site server that relate directly to inventory:

Image Dataldr.log Records processing of MIF files and hardware inventory data into the site database.

Image Sinvproc.log Records processing of software inventory data into the site database.

Image Reviewing status message queries Configuration Manager status messages report information about Configuration Manager component behavior and data flow. Status messages can be helpful when you are troubleshooting Configuration Manager issues because many status messages include possible cause and resolution information. Status message queries related to inventory include the following:

Image Clients That Reported Errors Or Warnings During Inventory File Collection

Image Clients That Reported Errors Or Warnings While Creating A Hardware Inventory File

Image Clients That Reported Errors Or Warnings While Creating A Software Inventory File


Image Thought experiment: Inventory collection at Contoso

You are the Configuration Manager administrator at Contoso. Contoso has a heterogeneous environment, with computers that run Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and UNIX operating systems. You are interested in collecting hardware and software inventory information. With this in mind, answer the following questions:

1. Which operating systems support the collection of hardware inventory?

2. Which operating systems support the collection of software inventory?


Objective summary

Image Inventory collection involves gathering information about a client computer’s hardware and software.

Image Hardware inventory collects information about the hardware configuration of client computers.

Image Configuration Manager supports hardware inventory collection for computers that are running supported Windows operating systems, Mac OS X, Linux, and UNIX operating systems.

Image Software inventory collects information about files on client devices. Operating systems not based on Windows do not support software inventory.

Image Custom client settings override any settings that you configure within Default Client Settings.

Image The Configuration.mof file is a text file that defines the data classes for the hardware inventory agent.

Image File collection allows files to be collected from Configuration Manager clients.

Objective review

Answer the following questions to test your knowledge of the information in this objective. You can find the answers to these questions and explanations of why each answer choice is correct or incorrect in the “Answers” section at the end of the chapter.

1. Which of the following Configuration Manager features can you use to determine whether a specific graphics card is being used on a Configuration Manager client?

A. Hardware inventory

B. Software inventory

C. File collection

D. Software metering

2. You want to collect all .ini files stored in a specific folder on each Configuration Manager client. Which of the following Configuration Manager features would you use to accomplish this goal?

A. Software metering

B. Asset Intelligence

C. Hardware inventory

D. File collection

3. You have configured software inventory to inventory all files that use the .docx extension. If you don’t change any other settings, which of the following file types will not be collected by software inventory by default? (Choose all that apply.)

A. Files with the encryption attribute set

B. Files with the compression attribute set

C. Files with the hidden attribute set

D. Files with the archive attribute set

Objective 6.2: Manage software metering

Software metering enables you to track how often a particular application is used. This is extremely useful if you want to determine which applications are, and are not, being used in your organization.


This section covers the following topics:

Image Software metering

Image Software-metering rules

Image Manage software-metering tasks


Software metering

You use software metering to monitor application usage on Configuration Manager client computers. You can summarize software-metering data to produce useful reports that can help you plan for your organization’s software purchases.

Software metering can be useful when you need to know:

Image How many instances of a particular software program users are using.

Image How many licenses of a particular software program you need to purchase when you renew your license agreement with the software vendor.

Image Whether any users are still running a particular software program. If users are no longer using the program, you could consider retiring it.

Image What times of the day users most frequently use a software program.

Software metering can collect detailed information, such as the information listed in Table 6-3.

Image

TABLE 6-3 Information collected by the software-metering process

Software metering uses two main components to perform data collection tasks: the Software Metering Agent and software-metering rules. When enabled, the Software Metering Agent reports software-metering data based on the site’s software-metering rules. You must configure software-metering rules prior to beginning data collection about a program’s usage.

Default Client Settings enables the Software Metering Agent by default and is configured to send software-metering data to the management point every seven days. Rules are created automatically, based on usage. However, no rules are enabled by default. If you want to enable software metering for a specific group of computers, you can create a custom client setting configuration that targets a specific collection of devices, and then you can disable the Software Metering Agent in default client agent settings. Figure 6-9 shows the Software Metering settings section of the Default Client Settings object.

Image

FIGURE 6-9 Software Metering

The software-metering process includes the following steps:

1. The Software Metering Agent examines each program that runs on the client and determines whether the program file’s information matches any software-metering rule. The agent collects usage data every time an actively monitored program runs on the client, regardless of whether the client is connected to the network.

2. The agent uploads the data to the management point on its next software metering usage report cycle. If the client is not connected to the network, the data remains on the client and then uploads to the management point the next time the client connects to the network.

3. The management point forwards the data to the site server.

4. The site server adds the data to the site database.


More Info: Software Metering

You can learn more about software metering at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg682205.aspx.


Software-metering rules

When you create a new rule, you can specify the site to which the rule applies and whether the rule should affect only the specified site or all clients in the hierarchy. By default, rules apply either to the site in which you define them or to all sites if you define them in the central administration site.

To create a software-metering rule, perform the following steps:

1. In the Configuration Manager console, click the Software Metering node of the Assets And Compliance workspace.

2. On the ribbon, click Create Software Metering Rule.

3. On the General page of the Create Software Metering Rule Wizard, specify the details of the application you wish to meter. Figure 6-10 shows a metering rule configured for Notepad.exe. You can browse to the application location to have these properties populated automatically.

Image

FIGURE 6-10 Create Software Metering Rule Wizard

4. Complete the wizard to create the rule.

Automatic software-metering rule creation enables you to specify the percentage of client computers in the hierarchy that must have the application installed before a rule is automatically created. The default value is 10 percent. You can configure a maximum number of software-metering rules that can be automatically created; the default is 100. You can configure automatic software-metering rule creation in the Software Metering Properties dialog box, which is accessible through the Assets And Compliance workspace of the Configuration Manager console. Figure 6-11shows the Software Metering Properties dialog box.

Image

FIGURE 6-11 Software Metering Properties


More Info: Automatic Rule Creation

You can learn more about automatic software-metering rule creation at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh427343.aspx.



Image Exam Tip

Remember how to configure automatic rule creation.


Manage software-metering tasks

Software-metering data is summarized on a specified schedule and then replicates to the central administration site, which contains usage data from all client computers within the hierarchy. After the site server summarizes client data, you can view the information by using queries and reports. This data, combined with data from software inventory and Asset Intelligence, can assist your organization in determining its software usage.

Configuration Manager includes a number of site-maintenance tasks to help you manage the usage data that software metering collects. These tasks are responsible for summarizing software-metering data and deleting aged software-metering data. These summarization tasks summarize data to reduce the amount of data that the Configuration Manager site database stores.

Data summarization runs daily and only runs against usage data that is older than 12 hours. Data summarization is required for all Configuration Manager software-metering reports to display meaningful data.

You can use the RunMeterSumm.exe tool to initiate an off-cycle summarization of software-metering data. You can obtain this tool from the Configuration Manager toolkit.

If you want to understand what data the most current set of summary data contains, you should know when the summarization last occurred. You can refer to the software-metering summarization progress report in Configuration Manager to determine when summarization last occurred.

The software-metering summarization tasks are:

Image Summarize Software Metering File Usage Data The Summarize Software Metering File Usage Data task condenses software-metering file usage data from multiple records into one general record. This record provides information about the program name, version, language, and number of distinct users over intervals of 15 minutes and 1 hour. This process compresses and optimizes the amount of data stored in the Configuration Manager site database. By default, the Summarize Software Metering File Usage Data task runs daily. For every hour and every 15-minute interval within the hour, the task calculates the total number of distinct user/computer combinations that are running the matching program. Within the 15-minute intervals, this approximates the number of concurrent users. For example:

Image If a single user is using a software program and signs in to three computers simultaneously, this counts as three usages.

Image If three users sign in to a computer that is running Terminal Services or Remote Desktop Services, and all three are running the software program, this counts as three usages.

Image If a single user starts and stops the software program on the same computer three times during the hour, this counts as one usage for that user.

Image Summarize Software Metering Monthly Usage Data This task condenses detailed software-metering usage data from multiple records into one general record. This record provides information about the program name, program version and language, program running times, number of usages, last usage, user name, and computer name. Data summarization helps compress the amount of data in the Configuration Manager site database. Monthly software usage data replicates to the central administration site. The summarization information includes the number of times each matching software program runs on a particular computer and by a particular user during the month. By default, the task runs daily, and the summarization period is one month.

The following maintenance tasks remove old software-metering data and summarized data from the Configuration Manager site database:

Image Delete Aged Software Metering Data This task deletes all unsummarized software-metering data that is older than the number of days specified. By default, the task runs every day and deletes software-metering data that is older than five days. You can configure the number of days to be anywhere from 2 to 255 days.

Image Delete Aged Software Metering Summary Data This task deletes summarized software-metering summary data that is older than the number of days specified. By default, the task runs every Sunday to delete software-metering summary data that is older than 270 days.


Image Thought experiment: Software metering at Fabrikam

You are the Configuration Manager administrator at Fabrikam. You’ve been trialing Configuration Manager’s software-metering functionality, but you’ve found that the default configuration does not suit your needs. Specifically, you want to use it to find out how many people are running a specific graphics application that you want to retire. You also want to reduce the number of automatically created rules so that they are only generated if a substantial number of people are using an application. With this in mind, answer the following questions:

1. How can you determine the number of people who are running the graphics application, given that it’s likely to be used by less than 10 percent of people in the organization?

2. What steps can you take to reduce the number of automatically created rules and limit rule creation to when more than 30 percent of client computers in your organization use an application?


Objective summary

Image Software metering records how many instances of a particular software program users are using.

Image Software metering records when the application was run, who ran it, and how long they were running it.

Image Maintenance tasks remove software-metering data and summary data after specified periods.

Objective review

Answer the following questions to test your knowledge of the information in this objective. You can find the answers to these questions and explanations of why each answer choice is correct or incorrect in the “Answers” section at the end of the chapter.

1. You want to ensure that aged software-metering summary data is stored for 365 days. Which of the following tasks would you modify to accomplish this goal?

A. Summarize Software Metering File Usage Data

B. Summarize Software Metering Monthly Usage Data

C. Delete Aged Software Metering Data

D. Delete Aged Software Metering Summary Data

2. You want to ensure that software-metering data is deleted only after 28 days. Which of the following tasks would you modify to accomplish this goal?

A. Delete Aged Software Metering Summary Data

B. Delete Aged Software Metering Data

C. Summarize Software Metering Monthly Usage Data

D. Summarize Software Metering File Usage Data

3. You want to track which users are running a specific application and how often they are running that application. Which of the following Configuration Manager features would you take advantage of to accomplish this goal?

A. Software inventory

B. Software metering

C. File collection

D. Asset Intelligence

4. By default, on what percentage of Configuration Manager client computers in the hierarchy must an application be launched before a software-metering rule is automatically created to track its use?

A. 5 percent

B. 10 percent

C. 20 percent

D. 25 percent

Objective 6.3: Create reports

The reporting functionality in Configuration Manager enables you to view and manipulate the information that it has collected about client devices in your organization. The Asset Intelligence functionality of Configuration Manager enables you to identify precisely which software is running on managed client devices.


This section covers the following topics:

Image Queries

Image Configuration Manager reporting

Image Managing reports

Image Asset Intelligence


Queries

A query is a specific set of instructions that extract information about a defined set of objects. You can use a query in Configuration Manager to obtain almost any information from the site database. This includes items such as specific types of computers, user groups, sites, collections, and applications. You also can query your database for information such as the number of clients that have free space of less than 5 GB and the number of clients in a particular site. One caveat is that the inventory information in the database is as current as the last inventory cycle. You might run a particular query to locate a computer that could have changed since the last inventory. Therefore, because the computer no longer meets the criteria of the query, it will not appear in the query results.

You build queries in Configuration Manager in the WMI Query Language (WQL), which is based on Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). WMI is similar to Structured Query Language (SQL). You can use preconfigured queries or create your own custom queries to search the site database. When creating custom queries in Configuration Manager, you can use the Query Statement Properties in the Create Query Wizard in design mode to choose the components of your query, or you can use Query Statement Properties in the query language mode to type your own WQL queries.

Although design mode provides an easier interface to use when creating queries, you cannot create all queries by using design mode. For instance, when using aggregation commands in WQL, you can view and manage the query only in query language mode.

You can perform two types of queries in Configuration Manager:

Image Data queries You can use data queries for extracting information that relates to resource discovery or inventory data. In general, the primary purpose of data queries is to build collections.

Image Status message queries This type of query has a very specific use. The Site Status and Component Status nodes show you status messages that relate to a specific site system or component. Although there are some filtering options, these might not be sufficient when troubleshooting an issue. Therefore, you can use status message queries to create custom queries that return status messages, including from clients. The primary purpose of status message queries is to locate stored status messages.

You can use queries in Configuration Manager to search the site database for any object. All objects have attributes and values that you can query. However, not all objects have the same attributes and values. For example, both user resources and system resources have a name; however, user resources do not have installed software.

Every object type is defined by a set of attribute classes, which are further defined by individual attributes. For example, the System Resource object type is defined by attribute classes such as processor, disk drives, and installed software. Together, these characterize the discovery data and inventory data of a system resource. These attribute classes have their own unique attributes. The attributes define the values stored in the database, such as current clock speed for processors or partitions for disk drives.

Most object types, such as the Site object type, have only one attribute class and few attributes, whereas the System Resource object type has more than 200 attribute classes and thousands of attributes. Attribute classes are directly related to SQL Server tables and Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) classes. In database terms, the attribute class represents a table, the attributes represent the column headers, and the actual data collected is stored in the rows.

Queries search against only one object type at a time. By default, Configuration Manager queries the System Resource object type.

Configuration Manager has 28 object types, as shown in Table 6-4.

Image

TABLE 6-4 Configuration Manager object types

In addition, there is an Unknown Computer object for the All Unknown Computers collection that is used in operating system deployment. You can create queries by using the Unknown Computer object type; however, you must write out the query in WQL.

A valid query includes the following elements:

Image A unique query name that identifies the query

Image Object type

Image Attribute class

Image Attribute

When you create a query, the only requirement is that you specify a unique name for your query. The object type is set to the System Resource object type by default, and all attribute classes and attributes have default values. However, by including specific object types, attribute classes, and attributes, you can ensure that you do not have an overly large number of results, which can be unwieldy.

If you use the default values and your default query returns a large number of attributes, you can limit the number of attributes that appear. To do this, perform the following steps:

1. In the Query Properties dialog box, click Edit Query Statement.

2. In the Query Statement Properties dialog box, on the General tab, configure the attributes that you want to view in the results.

If you want to restrict the results that are returned to only attributes with specific values, use the Criteria tab to specify the attribute class and attribute along with the value that you want to find. You do not need to use the same attributes on the General tab that you use on the Criteria tab. For example, on the General tab, you might include attributes such as Computer Name or IP Address to identify specific computers. However, your criteria could be to restrict the results to a specific driver version.

If your query includes attributes from more than one attribute class, you can join or link the attribute classes so the displayed data for each accurately relates to that for the other. When you select an attribute on either the General tab or the Criteria tab, Configuration Manager creates a suitable join for the attribute class automatically. For example, if you build a query to display all computers with 4 gigabytes (GB) of random access memory (RAM) and with Microsoft Office installed, the data is joined automatically because both tables have a key field that identifies the device from which the data was collected. For advanced queries, you can use the Joins tab to link attributes manually from multiple attribute classes.

Configuration Manager reporting

For reporting to function in Configuration Manager, you must install a SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) server that is running the same version of SQL Server as the site database server. You can use any supported version of SQL Server:

Image SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2) with cumulative update (CU) 9 or newer

Image SQL Server 2008 SP3 with CU 4 or newer

Image SQL Server 2008 R2 with SP1 and CU 6 or newer

Image SQL Server 2008 R2 with SP2

Image SQL Server 2012 with CU 2 or newer

Image SQL Server 2012 SP1

Image SQL Server 2014

You can install SSRS on the site server or on a remote site system. However, for optimal performance, you should install SSRS on a remote site system server.

There are prerequisites before you can install SSRS:

Image The user account that you use to run setup must be a member of the local Administrators group and have rights to create databases on the server running SQL Server that is hosting the SSRS databases.

Image The computer account for the Configuration Manager server must be in the local Administrators group on the SSRS server. Configuration Manager connects to Reporting Services to configure security rights for users. You should not configure SQL Server security rights when you integrate Configuration Manager reports with SSRS.

Image When installing SSRS, you must have a SQL Server database engine installed in the same instance.

Image Check for interoperability issues. To use the default configuration for SSRS Native Mode, setup must be able to use the following default settings:

Image Port 80

Image Virtual directory names ReportServer_instance_name and Reports_instance_name

Image Default databases named ReportServer and ReportServerTempDB

After you install SSRS, you can configure a reporting services point. To configure SSRS, the simplest option is to install SSRS by using the default configuration for native mode. When you use this option, the SSRS server is ready to use after installation. Default installation configures the following:

Image Service account for the Report Server service

Image Report Server Web service URL

Image Report Manager URL

Image Report Server database

Image Service account access to the report server databases

Image Data source name (DSN) connection for the report server databases

Default installation does not configure the unattended execution account, report server email settings, or scale-out deployment settings. You should back up the encryption keys after you have completed the installation.

If you choose to install in the files-only mode, then before you can use the reporting services point, you first must manually configure SSRS. After installing SSRS, you would configure it by using the Reporting Services Configuration Manager, shown in Figure 6-12.

Image

FIGURE 6-12 Reporting Services Configuration Manager

When running the Reporting Services Configuration Manager, you first must specify the server name and instance that you are managing. After you connect to the server, you must configure the nodes as described in Table 6-5.

Image

TABLE 6-5 Reporting services configuration


More Info: SQL Server Reporting Services

You can learn more about SQL Server Reporting Services at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb934490(v=sql.110).aspx and http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms156305(v=sql.110).aspx.


Managing reports

Configuration Manager includes more than 400 reports. They are displayed in the Configuration Manager console as shown in Figure 6-13 and are organized into more than 50 subfolders based on the category of the report.

Image

FIGURE 6-13 Configuration Manager Reports node

When you run the Create Report Wizard, you select whether you want to create a Model-Based Report or an SQL-Based Report. Figure 6-14 shows the Create Report Wizard.

Image

FIGURE 6-14 Create Report Wizard

If you select Model-Based Report, you will be asked to select the reporting services model on which to base the report, and the Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder will run as shown in Figure 6-15. If you choose SQL-Based Report, the report builder is launched without selecting a model.

Image

FIGURE 6-15 SQL Server Report Builder

SQL Server Report Builder also runs if you choose to edit an existing report. You can edit a report by selecting it within the Configuration Manager console and clicking Edit on the console ribbon. You can create a clone of a report by editing the report and then saving it with a new name by using SQL Server Report Builder. You also can use Save As functionality to export an existing report.

To import a report, navigate to the Reporting Services webpage, which is located at http://server/reports, using an account that has permission to edit reports. Navigate to the folder into which you want to upload the report and then click Upload File. On the Upload File page, shown inFigure 6-16, browse to the report file in .rdl format and click OK. You also can use the Reporting Services webpage to add folders in which to store Configuration Manager reports.

Image

FIGURE 6-16 Upload report


More Info: Managing Reports

You can learn more about managing Configuration Manager reports at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn581948.aspx.



Image Exam Tip

Remember what steps you need to take to clone and import a report.


Asset Intelligence

Asset Intelligence enhances the inventory capabilities of Configuration Manager by extending hardware inventory and adding functionality for license reporting. By enabling additional hardware-inventory WMI reporting classes, Asset Intelligence helps improve the range of information that it gathers about software titles in use.

Asset Intelligence offers the following benefits over software inventory:

Image Enables more accurate representation of software titles that are present on managed computers

Image Provides information about the license usage for specific products rather than just information about the software itself

Image Can be used in conjunction with software metering to rationalize licensing by determining instances when software has deployed but is not being used

Image Retrieves information about installed software through the hardware inventory client agent after the software inventory agent detects software titles by scanning client storage

Asset Intelligence reports are divided into three main areas: hardware, license, and software. Asset Intelligence presents a picture of how software is used in your environment, for example, by finding which systems cannot upgrade a software package and finding installed software that is not being used.

Table 6-6 lists some of the Asset Intelligence reports.

Image

Image

TABLE 6-6 Important Asset Intelligence reports

Asset Intelligence components include:

Image The Asset Intelligence catalog Asset Intelligence relies on a set of database tables, which contain software identification, categorization information, and hardware requirements for software titles. Collectively, these tables are the Asset Intelligence catalog and are stored within the site database. The Asset Intelligence catalog can provide data for reports on installed software titles, organize the information within software categories and families, and provide a predefined set of hardware requirements for the software titles. You also can customize the organization of your information by creating custom software categories and families and adding new user-defined hardware requirements for specific software titles. By using an Asset Intelligence synchronization point, you can download periodic updates dynamically from Microsoft to the Asset Intelligence catalog. These updates contain information about newly released or validated software.

Image Asset Intelligence synchronization point This is a Configuration Manager site system role that you can use to connect to System Center Online, an online service that Microsoft hosts. From there, you can download Asset Intelligence catalog updates. You can either schedule or manually initiate catalog synchronization. You also can use the Asset Intelligence synchronization point to upload custom software title information to System Center Online. Microsoft then categorizes it.

Image Asset Intelligence home page The Asset Intelligence node in the Asset And Compliance workspace displays a summary dashboard of Asset Intelligence information. It includes summaries of the Asset Intelligence component status, the catalog synchronization status, and inventoried software status.

Image Asset Intelligence reports More than 50 reports present Asset Intelligence information in a simplified format. Many of these reports link to more specific reports, which enable you to query for general information and procure detailed information. Report categories include hardware, license management, and software.

The Asset Intelligence catalog contains information for more than 500,000 software titles and versions, representing more than 20 families and 90 specific categories. The Asset Intelligence catalog includes the following:

Image Support for manually importing software license information for software titles in use, including both Microsoft and non-Microsoft titles

Image Hardware requirements for many software titles in the catalog

Image Support for adding custom software categories, families, and software labels

Image Support for uploading software title information to the System Center Online service, which then categorizes it

You can review contents of the Asset Intelligence catalog and customize certain elements by clicking the Asset Intelligence folder in the Assets And Compliance workspace of the Configuration Manager console. The Asset Intelligence folder includes the following nodes:

Image Catalog Includes most of the catalog segments that administrators can update:

Image Software Categories Asset Intelligence software categories broadly classify inventoried software titles. By default, there are a number of predefined software categories, including line-of-business (LOB), original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and Office Suites And Productivity. You can create additional user-defined categories to classify inventoried software further.

Image Software Families Asset Intelligence software families further define inventoried software titles. By default, the Asset Intelligence catalog includes approximately 20 predefined software families. Some examples of these predefined software families are Components And Peripherals, Equipment, Home And Entertainment, Industry Specific, Line Of Business, and Productivity And Viewers. You can create additional user-defined software families to classify inventoried software further.

Image Custom Labels Custom labels enable further classification of inventoried software according to attributes that administrators define. For example, you might create a custom label known as Shareware and associate that label with inventoried shareware titles. You then can run a report to display all software titles that have the custom label Shareware associated with them.

Image Inventoried Software The list of inventoried software titles includes information about software that the hardware inventory agent reports. This node displays the following information by default for each inventoried software title:

Image Product Name The name of the inventoried software

Image Publisher The name of the vendor that developed the software

Image Version The product version of the software title

Image Category The currently assigned software category

Image Family The currently assigned software family

Image Label (1, 2, and 3) The custom labels that have been assigned with the software title, to a maximum of three

Image Software Count The number of Configuration Manager clients that have inventoried the software title

Image State The validation state for the software title

Image Hardware Requirements You can use Asset Intelligence hardware requirements to help verify that computers meet hardware requirements for software titles before you target the computers for deployment. Asset Intelligence retrieves from its catalog the hardware requirements that display in the Configuration Manager console. The list is not based on inventoried software title information from Configuration Manager clients. You can add, modify, or delete custom hardware requirements for software titles that the Asset Intelligence catalog does not predefine. However, existing noncustom hardware requirement information that the Asset Intelligence catalog stores is read-only, which means you cannot modify or delete it. The following information appears for each listed hardware requirement:

Image Software Title The software title name with which the hardware requirement is associated.

Image Minimum CPU (MHz) The minimum central processing unit (CPU) speed, in megahertz (MHz), that the software title requires.

Image Minimum RAM (KB) The minimum random access memory (RAM), in KB, that the software title requires.

Image Minimum Disk Space (KB) The minimum free disk space, in KB, that the software title requires.

Image Minimum Disk Size (KB) The minimum hard-disk size, in KB, that the software title requires.

Image Validation State The validation state for the hardware requirement. Valid states include Validated and User defined.

In System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, Asset Intelligence supports the mandatory software identification tags specified in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 19770-2 standard. These tags include authoritative data that Configuration Manager can use to identify software installed on client computers. Because the tags are standardized, an increasing number of software vendors include them in their applications. If you want Configuration Manager to use mandatory software identification tags, you must enable the SMS_SoftwareTag Asset Intelligence Hardware Inventory reporting class.

In System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, Asset Intelligence collects information about Microsoft Application Virtualization 5.0 and Application Virtualization 4.0 applications even though these applications run through the Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) client and are not installed on the client computer in a traditional manner.

You must configure several settings and tasks so that Asset Intelligence performs optimally. These settings include:

Image Enable Hardware Inventory Asset Intelligence reports depend on information that the hardware inventory agent collects. Ensure that you enable the hardware inventory agent on clients.

Image Enable Software Metering The following Asset Intelligence reports depend on the Software Metering Client Agent to provide the following data:

Image Software 07A - Recently used executables by number of computers

Image Software 07B - Computers that recently used a specified executable

Image Software 07C - Recently used executables on a specific computer

Image Software 08A - Recently used executables by number of users

Image Software 08B - Users who recently used a specified executable

Image Software 08C - Recently used executables by a specified user

Image Enable Asset Intelligence Inventory Reporting Classes To enable the Asset Intelligence Inventory reporting classes, right-click the Asset Intelligence node and then click Edit Inventory Classes. You can enable the Asset Intelligence reporting classes that you need per the type of reporting that you require. Note that from within the Edit Inventory Classes dialog box, as you point to each reporting class, a tooltip displays information about the reports that depend on each reporting class.

Image Enable Windows Event Log Settings Several Asset Intelligence reports rely on information that Windows security event logs gather on client computers. To support these reports, you must modify the event-log settings for Windows security on clients so that it logs all Success logon events. These reports include:

Image Hardware 03A - Primary computer users

Image Hardware 03B - Computers for a specific primary console user

Image Hardware 04A - Computers with multiple users (shared)

Image Hardware 05A - Console users on a specific computer

Image Import Software License Information Use the Import Software Licenses Wizard to import Microsoft Volume License Statements and General License Statements from non-Microsoft vendors into the Asset Intelligence catalog.

Image Install An Asset Intelligence Synchronization Point The site system role for the Asset Intelligence synchronization point connects to System Center Online to download and synchronize Asset Intelligence catalog information. You must install this role on a site system in the central administration site for hierarchy configurations. This requires Internet access using Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) port 443. You can configure a synchronization schedule, which by default is set to run every seven days.

Image Configure Asset Intelligence Maintenance Tasks By default, the Asset Intelligence feature uses two maintenance tasks:

Image Check Application Title With Inventory Information This task reconciles the software title in the software inventory reports with the software title in the Asset Intelligence catalog.

Image Summarize Installed Software Data This task provides information that displays in the Inventoried Software node. This task is available only on primary sites.

Image Configure Asset Intelligence Security You can use the Asset Manager Security role to provide the required permissions to manage the Asset Intelligence synchronization point and to modify the Asset Intelligence reporting classes and permissions related to software inventory, hardware inventory, and software metering.

Maintaining and managing Asset Intelligence involves a number of tasks, including:

Image Viewing Asset Intelligence information that Asset Intelligence reports collect from clients You can run Asset Intelligence reports to view the most detailed information that the Asset Intelligence feature collects. Asset Intelligence reports are as follows:

Image Hardware reports Provide information about hardware assets within your organization, including age and upgrade readiness

Image License management reports Provide information about licensing, including number of licenses in use, sales channels, and time until expiration

Image Software reports Provide information about software families, categories, and specific software titles installed on your organization’s computers

Image Updating the Asset Intelligence catalog To request synchronization manually, in the Configuration Manager console, click the Assets And Compliance workspace and then click Asset Intelligence. Right-click Asset Intelligence, point to Synchronize, and then click Synchronize Asset Intelligence Catalog. You may request manual synchronization only once every 12 hours.

Image Requesting software categorization You can submit uncategorized software title information for research and categorization. After you submit an uncategorized software title, Microsoft researchers identify, categorize, and then make the software title categorization information available to all customers who are using the System Center Online service. The following information applies to software title information that is submitted for categorization:

Image System Center Online receives only basic software title information. You can review the software title information before Microsoft researchers categorize and submit it.

Image Submitting software titles for categorization does not transmit any license information.

Image Software title information that you upload becomes available publicly as part of the Microsoft System Center Online Services catalog. Other customers then can download it.

Image Microsoft System Center Online Services does not record the source of the submitted software. However, you should not submit application titles for categorization that contain confidential or proprietary information.

Image Resolving software details conflicts If an Asset Intelligence catalog categorization value conflicts with information downloaded from System Center Online, a software details conflict occurs. You can use the Asset Intelligence Software Details Conflict Resolution dialog box to select a conflict resolution action.


More Info: Asset Intelligence

You can learn more about Asset Intelligence at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg699382.aspx.



Image Thought experiment: Asset Intelligence at Adatum

You are piloting the Configuration Manager Asset Intelligence feature at Adatum. You are interested in going beyond the reports that are included in the product by default. You also have some concerns about some data from System Center Online, which you want to correct for your local deployment. With this information in mind, answer the following questions:

1. Which tool can you use to create a brand new report based on Asset Intelligence data?

2. An Asset Intelligence catalog categorization value conflicts with information downloaded from System Center Online. What can you do to resolve this issue?


Objective summary

Image Software metering enables you to track how often a particular application is used.

Image Automatic software metering rule creation enables you to specify the percentage of client computers in the hierarchy that must have the application installed before a rule is automatically created.

Image Software-metering data is summarized on a specified schedule and then replicates to the central administration site, which contains usage data from all client computers within the hierarchy.

Image Data summarization runs daily and only against usage data that is older than 12 hours.

Objective review

Answer the following questions to test your knowledge of the information in this objective. You can find the answers to these questions and explanations of why each answer choice is correct or incorrect in the “Answers” section at the end of the chapter.

1. Which of the following tools could you use to import a report in RDL format so that it can be used in Configuration Manager?

A. Configuration Manager console

B. Internet Explorer

C. SQL Server Report Builder

D. Reporting Server Configuration Manager

2. Which of the following tools could you use to clone an existing Configuration Manager report?

A. Reporting Server Configuration Manager

B. SQL Server Report Builder

C. Internet Explorer

D. Configuration Manager console

3. You want to edit the properties of an existing Configuration Manager report. Which of the following tools could you use to accomplish this goal?

A. Configuration Manager console

B. Internet Explorer

C. SQL Server Report Builder

D. Reporting Server Configuration Manager

4. Which of the following Configuration Manager features would you use to determine software license usage information?

A. Hardware inventory

B. Software inventory

C. File collection

D. Asset Intelligence

Answers

Objective 6.1

Thought experiment

1. Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and supported UNIX operating systems support the collection of hardware inventory.

2. Only Configuration Manager clients running Windows operating systems support the collection of software inventory.

Objective review

1. Correct answer: A

A. Correct: You can use hardware inventory to determine whether a specific graphics card is being used on a Configuration Manager client.

B. Incorrect: Software inventory enables you to inventory software, not hardware.

C. Incorrect: You can’t use file collection to determine which hardware is installed on a computer.

D. Incorrect: Software metering tracks how often an application is run.

2. Correct answer: D

A. Incorrect: Software metering tracks how often an application is run.

B. Incorrect: Asset Intelligence enables you to identify software on a computer.

C. Incorrect: Hardware inventory enables you to collect hardware information, not files.

D. Correct: You would use file collection to collect all .ini files stored in a specific folder on a Configuration Manager client.

3. Correct answers: A and B

A. Correct: Software inventory does not collect files with the encryption attribute set by default.

B. Correct: Software inventory does not collect files with the compression attribute set by default.

C. Incorrect: Software inventory will inventory files with the hidden attribute set by default.

D. Incorrect: Software inventory will inventory files with the archive attribute set by default.

Objective 6.2

Thought experiment

1. Because the graphics application is likely to be used by less than 10 percent of people in the organization, you’ll need to create a software-metering rule rather than letting one be created automatically.

2. You can modify Software Metering Properties to change the threshold for rule creation and the maximum number of automatically created rules.

Objective review

1. Correct answer: D

A. Incorrect: The Summarize Software Metering File Usage Data task condenses software-metering file usage data from multiple records into one general record.

B. Incorrect: The Summarize Software Metering Monthly Usage Data task condenses detailed software-metering usage data from multiple records into one general record.

C. Incorrect: The Delete Aged Software Metering Data task deletes all unsummarized software-metering data that is older than the number of days specified.

D. Correct: The Delete Aged Software Metering Summary Data task deletes summarized software-metering summary data that is older than the number of days specified. By default, the task runs every Sunday to delete software-metering summary data that is older than 270 days.

2. Correct answer: B

A. Incorrect: The Delete Aged Software Metering Summary Data task deletes summarized software-metering summary data that is older than the number of days specified. By default, the task runs every Sunday to delete software-metering summary data that is older than 270 days.

B. Correct: The Delete Aged Software Metering Data task deletes all unsummarized software-metering data that is older than the number of days specified. By default, the task runs every day and deletes software-metering data that is older than five days.

C. Incorrect: The Summarize Software Metering Monthly Usage Data task condenses detailed software-metering usage data from multiple records into one general record.

D. Incorrect: The Summarize Software Metering File Usage Data task condenses software-metering file usage data from multiple records into one general record.

3. Correct answer: B

A. Incorrect: You cannot use software inventory to determine which user has been running an application and how often the user does so.

B. Correct: You can use software metering to determine which user has been running an application and how often the user does so.

C. Incorrect: You cannot use file collection to determine which user has been running an application and how often the user does so.

D. Incorrect: You cannot use Asset Intelligence to determine which user has been running an application and how often the user does so.

4. Correct answer: B

A. Incorrect: By default, a software-metering rule is created when an application is launched on 10 percent of Configuration Manager client computers in a hierarchy.

B. Correct: By default, a software-metering rule is created when an application is launched on 10 percent of Configuration Manager client computers in a hierarchy.

C. Incorrect: By default, a software-metering rule is created when an application is launched on 10 percent of Configuration Manager client computers in a hierarchy.

D. Incorrect: By default, a software-metering rule is created when an application is launched on 10 percent of Configuration Manager client computers in a hierarchy.

Objective 6.3

Thought experiment

1. You can use SQL Server Report Builder to create a report based on information in the Configuration Manager database.

2. You can use the Asset Intelligence Software Details Conflict Resolution dialog box to resolve conflicts between categorization and information in System Center Online.

Objective review

1. Correct answer: B

A. Incorrect: You cannot use the Configuration Manager console to import reports in RDL format.

B. Correct: You use Internet Explorer, or another browser, to connect to http://server/reports to upload reports in RDL format.

C. Incorrect: You can use SQL Server Report Builder to clone and edit reports, but you need to use Internet Explorer, or another browser, to upload a report to a Report Server instance.

D. Incorrect: You use Reporting Server Configuration Manager to configure the Reporting Server instance.

2. Correct answer: B

A. Incorrect: You use Reporting Server Configuration Manager to configure the Reporting Server instance.

B. Correct: You can use SQL Server Report Builder to clone and edit reports.

C. Incorrect: You use Internet Explorer, or another browser, to connect to http://server/reports to upload reports in RDL format. You can’t use Internet Explorer to clone a report.

D. Incorrect: You cannot use the Configuration Manager console to clone a report.

3. Correct answer: C

A. Incorrect: You cannot use the Configuration Manager console to edit the properties of an existing Configuration Manager report.

B. Incorrect: You cannot use Internet Explorer to edit the properties of an existing Configuration Manager report.

C. Correct: You can use SQL Server Report Builder to clone and edit reports.

D. Incorrect: You use Reporting Server Configuration Manager to configure the Reporting Server instance.

4. Correct answer: D

A. Incorrect: You can’t use hardware inventory to determine software license usage information.

B. Incorrect: Although software inventory can identify some files, it is not as reliable as Asset Intelligence for determining software licensing information.

C. Incorrect: You can’t use file collection to determine software license usage information.

D. Correct: Because Asset Intelligence provides a more accurate report about which software is present on Configuration Manager clients, it is the best tool for determining software license usage information.